Plants For Shade

Many plants can tolerate semi-shade but only a few can grow successfully in full shade. Based on our experience and research, the following plants can cope with being planted in full shade locations.

Trees

• Beech / Fagus sylvatica
• Holly / Ilex aquifolium
• Hop hornbeam / Ostrya carpinifolia
• Moosewood maple / Acer pensylvancicum
• Mountain ash, Rowan / Sorbus aucuparia
• Wild service tree / Sorbus torminalis

Shrubs

• Boxwood / Buxus sempervirens
• Cherry laurel / Prunus laurocerasus
• Doghobble / Leucothoe walteri
• Fortune’s spindle / Euonymus fortunei
• Greater periwinkle / Vinca major
• Holly olive / Osmanthus heterophyllus
• Japanese andromeda / Pieris floribunda
• Japanese rose / Kerria japonica
• Japanese Skimmia / Skimmia japonica
• Japanesespurge / Pachysandra terminalis
• Laurustinus / Viburnum tinus
• Lily of the valley / Pieris japonica
• Oregon grape / Mahonia aquifolium
• Stinking ash / Ptelea trifoliata
• Wych alder species / Fothergilla

Climbers

• Common ivy / Hedera helix
• Dewberry / Rubus caesius
• Dutchman’s pipe, Pipevine / Aristolochia macrophylla
• Fortune’s spindle, Winter creeper / Euonymus fortunei
• Oriental bittersweet / Celastrus orbiculatus
• Virginia creeper / Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Conifers

• English yew / Taxus baccata
• Western red cedar / Thuja plicata